


The New Neighbour

by NekoMajo



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben Solo is an awkward dork, Comedy, F/M, Modern AU, anxiety mentioned, damn these demonic birds and their wild ways, he can't catch a break, the day goes from bad to worse to actually okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:08:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22703713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NekoMajo/pseuds/NekoMajo
Summary: Ben Solo is not having the best morning as he unexpectedly meets his pretty new neighbour.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 7
Kudos: 99





	The New Neighbour

It was morning already and his alarm was blaring beside his bed. Ben glared at the ceiling with dry eyes, not feeling rested at all despite trying to sleep for the past nine hours. He always had trouble with insomnia, but last night was different.   
  
For some reason, his insane new neighbour decided to move in yesterday afternoon and spent the whole night blaring music and moving furniture around. He remembers awkwardly speaking to the guy, when he came over and asked to borrow a screwdriver. Seemed like a decent fellow, but right now he felt like he could commit murder.  
  
He thought about calling in to take the day off, but there was no point, since he wouldn’t be able to sleep now. He hated being still for too long and his back hurt from laying down all night. Scrubbing his hands over his face and through his messy hair, Ben finally sat up and dragged himself out of the room.   
  
Flipping on the coffee maker, moved around on auto pilot and made a light breakfast. He started at the barren living room from his kitchen as he ate some toast, there was hardly any personal décor despite living here for months already. He sometimes thought about getting a plant, but he’d probably over water it to death, so it would be a waste of money.  
  
It’s been almost a year since he found his way back to his family and left city life behind. Admittedly, the separation was caused partly by himself, but his parents and uncle hardly helped the situation. Having felt outcasted and ignored during his upbringing, he set out to make his own way in the world and was easy pickings to be manipulated.  
  
His former mentor, Snoke seemed like such a wise individual when they first met. He would praise Ben for his potential and trapped him in a job that sucked away nearly a decade of his life. Being fresh out of University, he knew all the statistics, but had no experience and so he did not see the red flags for a long time.   
  
He remembers beginning to realise his mistakes about four years ago, when he suffered a breakdown from all the stress he was under. Rightfully, his doctor encouraged him to take time off work, but he received little sympathy from his job. He'll never forget Snoke telling him that an imaginary problem in his head, was not good enough to warrant a paid vacation.   
  
_“You could take the time, my boy, but there will be no job for you when you return. I have no place for a weak willed employee.”_ The old man’s words had burned into his brain and he’d never felt so pathetic. Doubting himself, Ben questioned if he was overreacting and then with the threat of losing everything he built for himself, he agreed to keep working.   
  
The problems never went away and his anxiety eventually would erupt in fits of rage, but as long as he got the work done, Snoke didn’t care. He was trapped and so far down the rabbit hole, it was a wonder he was able to escape at all in the end.   
  
It had been raining that morning, when Ben got the call from his mother. She told him his father was fighting for his life in hospital after getting hit by another car, while driving home the night before. At the time, it was a fifty percent chance he would make it out alive and the news felt like being dropped into arctic water.  
  
Despite knowing better, he attempted to explain the situation to Snoke. The old man scoffed— _he’d actually fucking scoffed_ — and told him that the First Order was in the middle of an important project and he could not be spared. For the first time, Ben lashed out at the older man in anger and ended up storming out of the building. He didn’t even go to his apartment to pack anything and caught the first flight available to the other side of the country.  
  
His mother was both surprised and relived when he arrived at the hospital, pulling her son into a tight hug, before leading him to his father. It was several days of hell for them all, but Han managed to pull through in the end and was discharged three weeks later.  
  
While he already knew there was nothing to return to back in the city, Ben still read the angry email from his former boss. There were several paragraphs about how he was an ungrateful wretch with no worth, but after what he went through, he had no reaction to it. Once upon a time Snoke’s words could tear him apart and leave him numb, but not anymore. It was a shame that it took almost losing his father to make him leave.  
  
Leia of course had jumped at the chance to keep him home, having wanted him back with her for years. She offered him a job with her, doing simpler work than what he was used to and any other time, he might have turned her offer down. But he didn’t and here he was. There were worse things he supposed.  
  
Ben glanced at the clock and put his plate in the sink with a sigh. It was tempting to take his time and walk into the office late, but then he’d never hear the end of it from his mother.   
  
He strips in the hallway and tosses his clothes into the hamper, before going into the bathroom and taking a shower. He grimaced to himself when he remembered the family dinner scheduled for Sunday. There he would most likely have to talk to his uncle and get silently judged. Ben found that Luke sometimes couldn’t let go of a mistake, even if the person is making up for it.  
  
His mother had been trying to help them reconcile and while he could understand why she wanted it, he felt smothered sometimes. Despite that however, Ben could honestly admit that his life has improved for the better since leaving Snoke’s company. He even started seeing a therapist for his anxiety and he was steadily becoming less miserable.   
  
Perhaps in time even he and Luke would let the past— _Thump!_  
  
Ben’s thoughts paused at the noise, just as the last drags of soap rinsed from his body. He pulled his wet hair back out of his face and looked around the steamed bathroom. There was nothing out of the ordinary he could see, but he continued to stare anyway.  
  
He was sure he heard something— _Thump! Scratch!_  
  
“Holy shit—fuck!” Ben jumped back as a small black mass fell in front of him and flapped about in the water. His back hit the wall and slipped on the wet floor, trying to avoid the irate bird that had invaded the glass cubicle, “Mother fucker!” he swore again as he fell out of the shower, nearly taking the door with him when he hit the floor.  
  
Ben groaned when he finally managed to get back up, already feeling an ache from where he pulled a muscle in his leg and he’s sure he bashed his shoulder on the way down. There was going to be a nice bruise there tomorrow. He glared at the crazy animal, wondering what kind of demonic possession caused it to break into his bathroom.  
  
Now standing, he turned off the water and he grabbed the towel off the rail before he proceeded to chase the little bastard, as it splashed water everywhere. It was quicker than him and it took him longer than it should to catch it. Doing his best not to hurt the bird, he held it away from his body and then realised that this was his only clean towel. _Wonderful._  
  
Ben sighed and then looked up to see that the bathroom window was blocked by blinds, “Shit.” How had this fucker squeezed through that?! Knowing he wasn’t going to be able to shove the demon creature out that way, he awkwardly shuffled out into the hallway and to his bedroom, where the balcony door was unlocked and easy to push open.  
  
He hissed through grit teeth as the chilly morning air hit his wet skin, quickly making his was to the railing. “Okay, fuck off now.” He told it and opened the towel, only to see the little black mass drop like a rock into the bushes below his apartment.  
  
 _Oh fuck…_  
  
Ben stared in stunned silence at where the animal disappeared. Was it dead? Should he go find it? Call someone? Wait, was there even a number for wild birds, or should he call regular animal services? Was he going to get in trouble for this? Did it count as animal cruelty?  
  
 _Double fuck!_  
  
Just as he was about to rush back inside to get dressed, the bird suddenly shot up passed his face, “Son of a bitch!” he jumped back and watched it flap around and land in a nearby tree. his eyes narrowed as the little shit began to preen, “Yeah, fuck you too.”  
  
Despite his disgruntlement, he was relieved that it was alive and he could go about his day not feeling guilty about it. When he turned to go back inside, he was greeted by the sight of a young woman, standing on the balcony beside his.  
  
Her brown hair was loosely tied up in a bun, still dressed in her pyjamas and coffee cup in hand. Her mouth was hanging open in shock, her bright eyes wide with shock. She looked like she wasn’t sure how to react to what she just witnessed. Understandable, since it’s not every day someone tosses a bastard bird out of their apartment.  
  
When her gaze lowered however, Ben remembered that he was very naked at this moment. “Shit.” He whispered and moved the towel in front of his groin in a vain attempt at modesty. Not knowing what else to do, he offered her an awkward smile and slowly retreated back into his apartment. Unfortunately, he turned to soon and banged his already sore shoulder into the door, “Fuck me sideways!”  
  
Ben heard a small breathily laugh from behind him, just as he managed to get back inside and slammed the sliding door closed. He stared at the glass for a long moment, slowly sinking to the floor.  
  
 _Oh gods._   
  
He just flashed some random girl he’s never seen before. Who the fuck was she? Wasn’t his new neighbour a man? _Oh, scorching fires of hell—_ she must be his girlfriend! She probably thinks he’s a fucking creep that parades around naked in the stupidly early hours of the morning. What if she calls the police, or complains to the landlord about it?  
  
He could see it now. She was probably telling her boyfriend about the lunatic flashing his junk to anyone who would look, while he disposed of a bird— _Oh shit, the fucking bird!_ She must think he was attempting to sacrifice it to a heathen god, like some freak stoned out of his brain!  
  
Well, that settles it, he was just going to have to move then. Yep, just move straight out. It doesn’t matter if he just bought this place, there was no way he could continue to live here. He could always rent it out or even use it as a storage space. Anything to avoid seeing her again! It wouldn’t cause too much trouble, he could easily hire movers to come pick up his stuff while he’s at work and—  
  
Ben whipped his head around to look at the clock by his bed and of course, he was now running late. _Perfect, just perfect!_   
  
“Fuck my life today!” he groaned loudly and dashed around his room to get dressed, grabbing whatever was closest even if it was creased. He did not need his mother chewing him out after all this crap.   
  
He pushed the front door open slightly and glanced at the apartment just ten feet down the hall. With no angry neighbour and traumatized girlfriend insight, he quickly left the building. Once his feet hit the pavement, he sprinted down the road, weaving through other people like a mad man.   
  
Exactly on the hour, Ben entered the building of his mother’s company, his feet sliding on the floor as he came to a halt. He made it just on time, no lecture for him. _Thank fuck for that…_  
  
“Good morning, Ben.” He heard to his left and saw the front desk secretary, looking rather amused at his comical entrance.   
  
“H-hi Connix…” he nodded to her and quickly scurried away. He knew he looked like shit right now and charging in at high speed just drew more attention to himself. He needed to get out of sight of other people, before he flips his shit!  
  
“Ben!” he jumped when he heard his mother’s voice, just as he almost reached his private office. Sure, enough she glanced over him disapprovingly, “You’re a mess.” She always looked for an excuse to fuss over him and he was now dodging the tiny woman’s attempts to fix his hair.  
  
“Mom stop!” he grumbled, still trying to retreat into his solitude and lose himself in boring work. Eventually he managed to escape her and he was finally left to himself. He plopped down in the chair and then laid his head down on the desk, taking a moment to grumble to himself.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ben felt the hours crawl by as he tried not to think about this morning.   
  
His mother seemed to notice he was moodier than usual and asked him about it at least three time. But he couldn’t tell her—he _wouldn’t_ tell her! If she knew then everyone would know and he wouldn’t be able to take anymore humiliation. He was already beating himself up over acting like a moron in front of a random girl and he didn’t need anyone else’s help.   
  
Plus, now that he thought about it, she was very pretty. If he had met her in any other circumstances, he might have considered asking her out. He used to be good with women and casual dating, but after his first break down he found it difficult to socially interact without feeling nervous.   
  
He’ll never forget the day he overheard two female co-workers refer to him as damaged goods and openly mock his anxiety. Apparently, men were not allowed to have emotions or be vulnerable, something he noticed was a running theme with the First Order. Any linger interest he had in seeing people fizzled away since then and he has yet to recover.  
  
Ben wonders how his past self would have dealt with this morning’s debacle, or even if he would have made a dick of himself in the first place. He was such a mess of a person now, he doubts he’d be able to talk to any woman that interested him, let alone the one that saw him like that.  
  
“Ben!” his mother’s voice startled him from his thoughts, “I’ve called you three times already. It’s lunch time, we need to go.” She was frowning at him in a way he remembers when he was little and she would scold him.  
  
“Yeah, I’m coming…” he nodded and shut his laptop as he got up from his desk.  
  
They walked the then minutes down from the building, heading to where his father’s garage was. Since Han returned to work, the three of them tried to have lunch every day. As awkward as he was with his parents, Ben looked forward to spending time with them and making up for the years they lost.  
  
“Oh shoot.” Leia sighed when her phone began to ring, “You go ahead sweetheart, I’ll be right there.” She told Ben and answered the call.  
  
“Sure.” Ben shrugged and walked into the waiting room. Behind the front desk was an impossibly tall, bearded man, covered in tattoos. “Hey Chewie.” He waved at his father’s business partner.  
  
The old biker’s eyes crinkled at the corners with his smile, “Hey kid.” He reached over and ruffled his hair as he passed by, “Yer Dad’s in the office.”  
  
“Thanks.” Smiling in return, Ben headed into the back towards the employee breakroom, where Han would be. His father was still recovering from his accident and not allowed to do too a lot and was stuck with doing paperwork.  
  
“Seriously Rose!” an unfamiliar voice caught his attention, as he was not used to hearing a British accent, “He looked like a marble statue!”  
  
“Yeah Rey, you said. But did you talk to him?”  
  
“No! What would I even say?” the conversation continued, as Ben walked into the room, “Also, he seemed to be having a bad—”  
  
The abrupt silence caused him to look up and Ben was met with that same shocked face from this morning. The girl he flashed was sat beside his father’s long time employee, Rose. It took a moment for him to realise that his reality was unfair and cruel. Knowing his luck, she probably thinks he’s a stalker now.  
  
At the same time, Han stepped out of his office, leaning on a crutch, “Hey son, what took you so long?” he asked, peeking over his shoulder into the hall, “Where’s your mom?”  
  
The girl, Rey, let out a squeak, “S-son…?” she stared between them, a look of horror crossing her face.  
  
 _Shit!_  
  
Ben tensed, wishing he could just disappear through the wall, “U-um… mom is…” his words failed him as his brain disconnected from his mouth. This couldn’t be happening. What wrathful god had he pissed off to punish him like this? Because that was the only logical reason for this shit storm to be happening!  
  
After a few seconds stretched by, Rose seemed to be the only one to figure out what was going on. Ben liked Rose, she was sweet and always considerate of his anxiety. Sometimes however, she would react without thinking first and this was one of those times. “No way!” She exclaimed, “Ben’s the naked bird man!?” she looked at the girl beside her with a huge grin.  
  
“I…” The brunette just brought her hands up to cover her mouth, looking as mortified as Ben felt in this moment. What the hell had she said about him to cause that reaction?!  
  
It was Han who realised next, “Wait, Ben’s your neighbour? _That_ neighbour?!” there was a pause from the man, before he belted out a laugh, almost stumbling off his crutch. He clapped a hand on his son’s shoulder, trying to steady himself, eventually he giving up and dropping down into an empty seat.  
  
Of course this was the very moment when his mother entered the room. She glanced at Rose and Han both laughing, before looking between Ben and Rey, “Do I even want to know?”  
  
“L-Leia!” Han began, while trying to breath, “You won’t believe this!”  
  
 _Oh, fuck no!_   
  
Ben backed up out of the room and dashed down the hall, without hesitation. He was not going to subject himself to anymore ridicule. Along with moving away, he was now never going to enter this place again! At this point, he should follow his hippie uncle’s example and move to the middle of nowhere to live as a hermit, since there was no way he was ever going to face this.  
  
Ben was hiding in his office when his mother returned. He could tell that she knew and that she probably was still going to be laughing about it for days. But surprisingly, she didn’t bring it up and just put a take away lunch next to him. She kissed the top of his head and left without a word, much to his relief.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
When the workday was over, Ben considered sleeping there to avoid going home and facing Rey.   
  
There was always a chance that she would try and avoid him, but equally possible, she might want to yell at him. He wouldn’t blame her if she did. Being her boss’ son probably put her in an awkward position and make she feel uncomfortable at her job.   
  
_She probably hates my guts._ He sighed heavily as he gathered his things.  
  
After saying goodbye to his mother, he heads to the local corner store on the way home and wastes as much time as he can. He realises that there’s little point to this, since he doesn’t know when Rey finishes work. His little detour could end up ensuring that they run into each other rather than avoid it.   
  
_Fuck it!_ Ben thought as he walked into his apartment complex. He was screwed no matter what he did, so he might as well get it over with.  
  
Once on his floor, he side glances at the door a little ways passed his own, his nerves on edge. Too focused on watching he drops his keys, like a clumsy fuck, “Damn it…” he whispers and quickly swoops down to grab them, hitting his forehead on the brass handle as he did, “Ow fucker!” with a growl, he snatches the keys up and stands, rubbing the spot above his eyebrow. Great, another bruise for his growing collection.  
  
“H-hello?” he hears a soft voice call out to him.   
  
_Fuck me right in the fucking eye!_   
  
It was her. He knew even before he looked up to see her peeking out of her apartment. She was still dressed in her greasy, denim overalls, she probably only got back a short time ago, “Are you alright?”  
  
Ben was unsure of how to proceed with that rather simple question. He had imagined her either hiding from him or verbally kicking his ass up and down the halls, with no in between. So, this was unexpected. “I—I’m fine.” He manages to answer, after clearing his throat, “I’ve had worse.” He adds with a shrug, hoping to escape quickly before the conversation goes to shit.  
  
 _Oh hell_ —She was coming closer! Why was she coming closer?   
  
“If you say so.” She said with a smile on her face, “It’s Ben, right? I wanted to give this back.” She then handed over the screwdriver.  
  
Ben stared down at the tool, “Oh. Thanks.” He took it from her, attempting a smile in return, although he’s sure he looked like he was grimacing. Still, this was nice. She didn’t seem really bothered by what happened and was actually talking to him.  
  
“It really saved me some hassle yesterday.” Rey begins to explain, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, “Finn forgot to put my tool box in the van and I won’t be able to get it until the weekend.”  
  
Ben felt himself deflate a little. _Damn,_ that’s right, she was living with her boyfriend. A guy that will either think he’s a clown or want to punch him in the face. Neither was really appealing to him, although honestly, he’d rather get knocked on his ass than be mocked.  
  
“Also…” Rey starts quietly, glancing at her feet, “I’m sorry I told everyone about this morning.” She began to fidget with her hands, looking incredibly guilty, “I feel horrid about what happened and you—”  
  
“It’s okay.” Ben says quickly, not wanting her to fret over something stupid he did, “It’s a pretty funny story, I guess and if it didn’t happen to me, I’d laugh about it too… maybe.” He fiddled with his keys and finally unlocked the door, “I am sorry though, if I made you uncomfortable. I promise I don’t do that every day… and tell your boyfriend I’m sorry too.”  
  
Rey’s brow furrowed and her smile fell a little, “My what?” she then laughed softly, as if realising who he meant and shook her head, “Oh no, Finn is my friend. I don’t have a partner.”  
  
The pause stretched out into a long silence as Ben stared at her, not sure of what to say to that. So, she was single? That’s a good thing, but it’s not like he had a chance with her. He was an emotional wreck with a truck load of baggage. He had nothing that could pique her general curiosity, let alone a romantic interest. Unless she liked crazy weirdos… did she like crazy weirdos?  
  
A small sigh caught his attention, as Rey took a step back, “I’ll see you around then.” She said, giving a little wave and turned back towards her door.  
  
 _Shit!_ Ben began to panic, realising he was silent for too long and now she was leaving, “Uh—food—I mean dinner! What are you doing for dinner?!” he blurted out, unable to think of anything better to say. To his astonishment, she stopped walking and looked at him over her shoulder.  
  
“Instant noodles, I’m afraid.” She said, chewing her lower lip—oh, that did things to him— “I used up all my savings for the deposit and I don’t get paid ‘til Friday.” She added an explanation, looking a little embarrassed.  
  
“Do you, um…” Ben began, working his jaw as he mulled over what to say in his head, “You wanna have dinner with me? I’m making pasta…” he cringed inwardly at how awkward he sounded. Fuck, he really sucked at stuff like this now.   
  
Rey was by her door, leaning against it, “Is that alright?” she asked after a moment, “You have enough for me too?”  
  
“Yeah.” Ben answered instantly with a firm nod, “I usually make lots… like enough for five people and just freeze the leftovers, so I don’t have to go to the store all the time.” he wasn’t sure what he’s saying anymore. He was babbling and can’t seem to remember how to shut up!  
  
“Alright.” He hears her say and he finally managed to look at her face again, “When should I come over?”  
  
“Mn, g-give me an hour?” Ben told her, still not believing this was happening. He saw her nod and then step back into her apartment. Still watching her, he bumped the side of his head on the door frame, “Fucking tits!” Why was he such an idiot today?!  
  
He heard Rey giggling, her amused face still peeking at him through the door, “See you in an hour, Ben.” She said, just before she closed it with a soft click of the latch.  
  
Ben threw his bag down in the kitchen and went to his room. He ran a brush through his hair and put on a comfortable black sweater, before cleaning up the living room. He once again noticed how boring his place was, completely devoid of personality, but maybe Rey wouldn’t notice. He still couldn’t quite believe she was going to spend time with him.  
  
Of course, he knew better than to expect anything though. She might just be looking to be friends, since she worked for his dad after all and he knows Rose would have talked about him. Rey was new to the area and probably needed to expand her social circle, who better to add than her neighbour… even if he was a crazy, naked bird man.  
  
Ben felt he could be satisfied with just being her friend, even if she was the most stunning woman he’d ever clapped eyes on. There was also something about her that made him want to leave his comfort zones, when he usually retreated to them. Talking to her was easy and fumbling over his words didn’t put her off their conversation. That alone was something special for him.  
  
Just as he got the plates ready, he heard a knock at the door. “Be right there!” Taking a breath, Ben walked over to open it. He tried his best to remember all the things his mother taught him about being a gracious host, but his thoughts came to a grinding halt when he saw Rey.   
  
Like him, she had changed out of her work clothes, now wearing a pretty summer dress, patterned with flowers. Her hair was no longer in those tight three buns, but in a half up ponytail, the longer parts hanging around her shoulders. Her eyelashes looked thicker and he realised she was wearing makeup.  
  
“Hi.” she said and smiled at him, her lips tinted pink and shiny, “Is dinner ready?”  
  
Finally snapping out of his gawking, he nodded at her, “Uh, y-yeah…” he cleared his throat and stepped back to let her in, “I was just about to dish it up.”  
  
“Good. I’m really hungry.” She made a point of looking him in the eye as she passed him.  
  
Ben swallowed hard, his throat tightening. He wasn’t sure what today was exactly. His emotions had gone up and down more than a rollercoaster and few times he was sure he’d puke from the anxiety. To think his morning started off so bad, just to wide up here, where he’s having dinner with his pretty neighbour. A complete one-eighty. Now, if he could just get through this without repeating his earlier blunders—  
  
“Oh, by the way.” Rey spoke, getting his attention again. She was holding up a little plastic box, “I forgot I had these, so I thought since you cooked dinner, I could bring dessert.” Her smile was dazzling, “Hope you like brownie-bites.”  
  
 _Oh fuck me, she’s adorable!_  
  
Ben simply nodded and watched her go into the kitchen and lean on the counter, looking immediately comfortable. He knew now there was no chance he wasn’t going to make an ass of himself in front of her… but maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello readers, I hope you enjoyed this silly little thing I wrote. 
> 
> This plot was inspired by a funny post I once read about a man and his dealings with a bird that broke into his bathroom. I have not been able to find it, so I can't reference it.
> 
> If you all like this, I might add on a second chapter, giving us Rey's pov of this messed up day.


End file.
